Clandestine Smoking Apparatus

ABSTRACT

A clandestine smoking apparatus for concealing a smoking device includes a body member having an open inhaler end allowing access an interior area and having an igniter end that is closed. A ventilation assembly defines a plurality of vent holes and includes an inner portion positioned immediately adjacent an inner surface of an outer portion and defines a plurality of damper holes. The inner portion is slidably movable to selectively align or cover respective vent holes and damper holes. An igniter member is coupled to the body member and movable between deployed and stowed configurations proximate or displaced from the igniter end, respectively, the igniter member having a plurality of ignition elements operable to light the smoking device when the igniter member is energized. A battery is coupled to the body member and electrically connected to the igniter member and operable to energize the igniter member when actuated.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to smoking devices and, more particularly, to a clandestine smoking apparatus that substantially hides the ignited end of a cigarette so that persons at a distance away from a person using the clandestine smoking apparatus are unable to see the ignited end of cigarette position therein. For instance, a soldier is able to smoke a cigarette using the clandestine smoking apparatus without an enemy soldier, such as a sniper, being able to see the lit cigarette or the soldier smoking it.

Soldiers on patrol or otherwise trying to hide their presence from the watchful eyes of an enemy soldier, such as a sniper, may still have a desire to smoke a cigarette or cigar. Unfortunately, a soldier desiring smoke while in enemy territory faces an undesirable choice of not lighting a cigarette at all for fear that the lit end thereof will give away his presence or lighting up anyway and risk being shot by a sniper or at least alerting the enemy to his presence.

Therefore, it would be desirable to have a clandestine smoking apparatus having a tubular configuration for receiving a cigarette therein and which includes a substantially closed end that hides the ignited end of a lit cigarette and that includes a plurality of ventilation holes to promote efficient burning of a lit cigarette. Further, it would be desirable to have a clandestine smoking apparatus that includes an igniter operable to light a cigarette positioned in the tubular body member—so that a cigarette can be stopped and started repeatedly. In addition, it would be desirable to have a clandestine smoking apparatus having a rechargeable battery electrically connected to the ignition device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A clandestine smoking apparatus for concealing a smoking device according to the present invention includes a body member having a tubular configuration defining an interior area, the body member having an inhaler end that is open for allowing access to the interior area and having an igniter end that is opposite the inhaler end and that is closed. The smoking apparatus includes a ventilation assembly that includes an outer portion fixedly coupled to the igniter end of the body member and defines a plurality of vent holes and that includes an inner portion positioned immediately adjacent an inner surface of the outer portion and defines a plurality of damper holes. The inner portion is slidably movable between an open configuration in which the plurality of vent holes are aligned with the plurality of damper holes and a closed configuration in which the plurality of vent holes are not aligned with the plurality of damper holes.

The smoking apparatus includes an igniter member slidably coupled to the body member and movable between a deployed configuration proximate the igniter end of the body member and a stowed configuration displaced from the igniter end, the igniter member having a plurality of ignition elements operable to deliver a flame to the smoking device when the igniter member is energized.

A battery is coupled to an exterior surface of the body member and electrically connected to the igniter member and operable to energize the igniter member when actuated. The plurality of ignition elements are energized only when the inner portion of the ventilation assembly is in the open configuration and the igniter member is in the deployed configuration.

Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide a clandestine smoking apparatus that enables a soldier to hide the burning end of a lit cigarette from view in order to preserve secrecy at night.

Another object of this invention is to provide a clandestine smoking apparatus, as aforesaid, in which a closed end includes a plurality of ventilation holes that enable ambient air to come into contact with a burning end of a lit cigarette so long as the vent holes are open.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a clandestine smoking apparatus, as aforesaid, that includes a rechargeable battery in electrical communication with an ignition device for igniting a smoking device inserted into the body member.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a clandestine smoking apparatus, as aforesaid, that is affordable to manufacture and to purchase.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, embodiments of this invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a clandestine smoking apparatus according to a preferred embodiment.

FIG. 2a is a rear perspective view of the smoking apparatus as in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2b is an isolated view on an enlarged scale taken from FIG. 2 a;

FIG. 3 is another front perspective view of the smoking apparatus as in FIG. 1 illustrated with a cigarette being inserted therein;

FIG. 4a is a front view of the smoking apparatus as in FIG. 1 illustrated with a damper flange in an open configuration;

FIG. 4b is a front view of the smoking apparatus as in FIG. 1 illustrated with the damper flange in a closed configuration;

FIG. 5a is an isolated perspective view of the ventilation assembly as in FIG. 1 removed from the body member and illustrated with an inner portion thereof inserted in an outer portion thereof and illustrated in the closed configuration;

FIG. 5b is a an isolated perspective view of the inner portion of the ventilation assembly as in FIG. 5a removed from the outer portion thereof;

FIG. 5c is an isolated perspective view of the ventilation assembly as in FIG. 1 removed from the body member and illustrated with an inner portion thereof inserted in an outer portion thereof and illustrated in the open configuration;

FIG. 5d is a an isolated perspective view of the inner portion of the ventilation assembly as in FIG. 5a removed from the outer portion thereof;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the ventilation assembly as in FIG. 4a in a time-lapse format illustrating movement of the damper flange;

FIG. 7a is a perspective view of the smoking apparatus as in FIG. 1, illustrating the ventilation assembly in the open configuration;

FIG. 7b is a perspective view of the smoking apparatus as in FIG. 1, illustrating the ventilation assembly in the closed configuration;

FIG. 8a is a side view of the smoking apparatus as in FIG. 7 b;

FIG. 8b is a sectional view taken along line 8 b-8 b of FIG. 8 a;

FIG. 8c is an isolated view taken from FIG. 8b illustrating an electrode of an igniter member;

FIG. 9a is a front view of the smoking apparatus as in FIG. 4 a;

FIG. 9b is a sectional view taken along line 9 b-9 b of FIG. 9;

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the smoking apparatus as in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the electric and electronic elements according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A clandestine smoking apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11 of the accompanying drawings. The clandestine smoking apparatus 10 includes a body member 20, a ventilation assembly 30, and an ignition element 42.

The body member 20 has a continuous side wall and a tubular configuration, the body member 20 defining an interior area. The body member 20 has an inhaler end 24 that has an open configuration allowing access to the interior area. Specifically, the inhaler end 24 has a diameter that is sufficiently large to receiving a smoking device 12, such as a cigarette, into the interior area. It is understood, of course, that variations of dimension are possible so that the clandestine smoking apparatus 10 may be used to smoke a cigarette, a cigar, or the like. Preferably, the body member 20 is shorter than the smoking device 12 so that the cigarette will protrude from the inhaler end 24 even when fully received into the interior area. In an embodiment, the inhaler end 24 of the body member 20 may include a lip 26 or flange adjacent the rim of the opening so as to hold or even seal the smoking device 12 once inserted. This is also a mechanism to force any smoke from a lit cigarette to exit the interior area solely through the ventilation holes 33 as will be described in detail later.

The body member 20 includes an igniter end 28 opposite the inhaler end 24, the igniter end 28 having a closed construction not allowing access to the interior area. As shown, the body member 20 has a linear configuration such the igniter end 28 is axially or linearly aligned with the inhaler end 24. The igniter end 28 is closed by the ventilation assembly 30 as described below. The ventilation assembly 30 includes an outer portion 32 that may have a conical or hemispherical shape configuration extending outwardly away from the igniter end 28 of the body member 20 and having an apex. The outer portion 32 of the ventilation assembly 30 may be fixedly attached to the igniter end 28 of the body member 20 defines a plurality of spaced apart ventilation holes 33, which may also be referred to simply as vent holes 33. The ventilation assembly 30 may also include an inner portion 34 positioned immediately adjacent an inner surface of the outer portion 32. More particularly, the inner portion 34 may be slidably coupled to the inner surface of the outer portion 32 and may be referred to as a damper. The inner portion 34 defines a plurality of damper holes 35 spaced apart from one another and arranged in the same configuration as the plurality of vent holes 33. In operation, the inner portion 34 may be slidably movable between an open configuration at which the plurality of vent holes 33 are aligned or registered with the plurality of damper holes 35 and a closed configuration at which the plurality of vent holes 33 are not aligned with the plurality of damper holes 35. In other words, ambient air is allowed to move in or out of the interior area, e.g. to feed combustion of a cigarette in the interior area, when the vent holes 33 and damper holes 35 are aligned (i.e. in the open configuration) as shown in FIGS. 5c and 7a . By contrast, ambient air is not allowed into the interior area when the vent holes 33 are not aligned or, in fact, are covered up (i.e. in the closed configuration) as in FIGS. 5a and 7b ). In the latter case, a lit cigarette is extinguished by being starved of oxygen. A damper flange 36 may be coupled to the inner portion 34 of the ventilation assembly 30 and extend outwardly so that a user can grasp the damper flange 36 with his fingers and selectively urge the inner portion between the open and closed configurations.

In another aspect, the clandestine smoking apparatus 10 includes an igniter member 40 coupled to an exterior surface of the body member 20. The igniter member 40 is operable to ignite a cigarette positioned in the interior area when energized. The igniter member 40 includes a switch that is slidably movable along the body member 20 between a stowed configuration displaced from the igniter end 28 of the body member 20 (FIG. 1) and a deployed configuration adjacent and proximate the igniter end 28 of the body member 20 (FIG. 8a ). The igniter member 40 includes a plurality of ignition elements 42 that extend into the interior area of the body member 20 and into close proximity or even in contact with the ignitable end of the smoking device, e.g. a cigarette, when the smoking device is inserted into the body member 20 and when the igniter member 40 is moved to the deployed configuration and when the igniter member is energized with electrical current as described below.

The plurality of ignition elements 42 may include a plurality of electrodes operable to generate an electrical arc when energized by current. In the manner of arc welding, the arc produces intense heat sufficient to fuse metals and, in the present application, to ignite a smoking device 12. Alternatively, the plurality of ignition elements 42 may include a plurality of heating coils configured and operable to generate intense heat sufficient to ignite the paper and fuel of a tip of a cigarette when energized by electrical current. The ignition elements 42 essentially generate a flame by igniting the tip of the smoking device 12.

A battery 44 is mounted to an exterior surface of the body member 20, such as adjacent to the inhaler end 24 and is electrically connected to the igniter member 40, such as by wires, a printed circuit board, or the like. The battery 44 is operable to deliver electrical current to the igniter member 40 when actuated to so. And, the battery 44 is automatically actuated to deliver current when the igniter member 40 is slidably moved to the deployed configuration. And, as a further safety feature, the battery 44 only delivers current when the inner portion of the ventilation assembly 30 is in the open configuration as described above so that a smoking device cannot be lit without appropriate ventilation.

With further reference to the battery 44, the battery may be rechargeable such as being connected to another power source. More particularly, battery 44 may include a USB port 46, micro-USB port, electrical socket, or the like so that the battery 44 may be electrically connected to an electric power source and operable to receive and store electrical current.

In use, a user simply inserts a smoking device such as a cigarette into the open inhaler end 24 of the body member 20 until it is inserted all the way. Then, the user may slide the ventilator flange 36 so that inner portion 34 of the ventilation assembly is moved to align the vent and damper holes. Then, the igniter member 40 may be moved to the deployed configuration—thereby lighting the cigarette (FIG. 7a ). Although smoke from the lit end of the cigarette may be emitted through the ventilation holes 33, the burning end will not be visible to a person a distance away.

It is understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof. 

1-10. (canceled)
 11. A clandestine smoking apparatus for concealing a smoking device, comprising: a body member having a tubular configuration defining an interior area, said body member having an inhaler end that is open for allowing access to said interior area and having an igniter end that is opposite said inhaler end and that is closed; wherein said body member has an elongate configuration operable to receive substantially all of the smoking device in said interior space; wherein said body member has a linear configuration such that said igniter end is axially aligned with said inhaler end; a ventilation assembly that includes an outer portion fixedly coupled to said igniter end of said body member and defines a plurality of vent holes and that includes an inner portion positioned immediately adjacent an inner surface of said outer portion and defines a plurality of damper holes, said inner portion being slidably movable between an open configuration in which said plurality of vent holes are aligned with said plurality of damper holes and a closed configuration in which said plurality of vent holes are not aligned with said plurality of damper holes; an igniter member slidably coupled to said body member and movable between a deployed configuration proximate said igniter end of said body member and a stowed configuration displaced from said igniter end, said igniter member being a switch having a plurality of electrodes operable to deliver a flame to the smoking device when the igniter member is energized; and wherein said igniter member is positioned adjacent said igniter end of said body member and operable to produce a flame when electrically actuated; a battery coupled to an exterior surface of said body member and electrically connected to said igniter member and operable to energize said igniter portion plurality of electrodes when actuated; wherein said battery is automatically activated to deliver electrical current when both (1) said igniter member is moved to said deployed configuration and (2) said inner portion of said ventilation assembly is in said open configuration; wherein said plurality of electrodes are energized only when said inner portion of said ventilation assembly is in said open configuration and said igniter member is in said deployed configuration; wherein said battery includes one of a USB port or mini-USB port operable to connect said battery to a battery source of another electronic device.
 12. The clandestine smoking apparatus as in claim 11, wherein said igniter member is actuated when moved from said stowed configuration to said deployed configuration and said igniter member is energized with current from said battery when said ignition member is at said deployed configuration.
 13. The clandestine smoking apparatus as in claim 11, wherein said battery is rechargeable.
 14. (canceled)
 15. (canceled)
 16. The clandestine smoking apparatus as in claim 11, wherein said ventilation assembly includes a damper flange coupled to said inner portion of said ventilation assembly and operable for moving said inner portion between said open configuration and said closed configuration.
 17. The clandestine smoking apparatus as in claim 11, wherein said plurality of electrodes of said igniter member are operable to generate an electricity arc when energized.
 18. (canceled) 